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Boomerang
Boomerang (formerly referred to as Boomerang from Cartoon Network) is an American digital cable and satellite television channel that is owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner. Originating as a spinoff of Cartoon Network (which originated Boomerang as a programming block in 1992), Boomerang specializes in reruns of animated programming from Time Warner's extensive archives, including pre-May 1986 MGM, Hanna-Barbera, the pre-1991 library of Ruby-Spears, Warner Bros. Animation, a portion of Famous Studios, and DePatie-Freleng Enterprises programs as well as Cartoon Network original programs, stretching from cartoon shorts of the 1930s and 1940s (almost always in color) to repeats of shows still in production on Cartoon Network. History Boomerang was originally a programming block on Cartoon Network aimed toward the generation of baby boomers. It originally aired for four hours every weekend. The block's start time jumped frequently, with the Saturday block moving to Saturday afternoons, then back to the early morning, and the Sunday block moving to Sunday evenings. Eventually, Boomerang was shortened by an hour, making the total airing time 3 hours each weekend instead of the original four hours. Boomerang (both the programming block and the original spinoff channel that launched on April 1, 2000) followed a unique programming format—every week, cartoons produced during a certain year (and cartoons produced during years prior to that year) would be showcased. For example, if Boomerang was showcasing the year 1969, the viewer would more than likely see an episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! or Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. Once the Boomerang channel was launched in 2000, promos for the channel aired at the end of every broadcasted show during the block in attempt to gain popularity for Boomerang. Also, all of the older programming on Cartoon Network, including Looney Tunes and shows from Hanna-Barbera migrated to Boomerang. On October 2 and October 3, 2004, nearly four months after the re-launch of the Cartoon Network, the Boomerang block was replaced by Adult Swim everyday with older reruns of classic anthologies like The Popeye Show, Tom and Jerry, The Bob Clampett Show, ToonHeads, former Boomerang fare like The Gary Coleman Show, The Super Globetrotters. October 2nd and 3rd were the last times Looney Tunes officially aired on Cartoon Network. Duck Dodgers, Cow and Chicken, The Jetsons, The Flintstones, What a Cartoon, Snorks, The Smurfs (Hanna-Barbera series) and Baby Looney Tunes are now featured on the channel, although much of the Looney Tunes programming has gradually vanished. They are still seen from time to time. The channel initially carried a weekly looping programming format. Notably, Boomerang does not carry product commercials. The only advertising on the channel is for Boomerang or Cartoon Network programming. During its looping format, which lasted through January 17, 2005, program days began at 8 a.m. Eastern time (5 a.m. Pacific time). The looping format had 8 hours of programming repeated three times a day. Monday through Thursdays were just normal programming days, with a variety of half-hour and hour-long cartoon programs shown. On Fridays, "monthly feature" cartoons were shown for the entire day; one cartoon was featured for each Friday of a given month for 24 hours straight. As of January 22, 2005, this banner became known as "monthly character of the month", and is now shown on weekends from 2 to 4 p.m. eastern and as of March 2007 it's known as Boomeroyalty. On Saturdays, a calendar year was featured with the cartoons of that year (ranging from approximately 1960 to 1996, one year per week in sequence). Sundays carried the "Boomeraction" theme, with animation featuring action and adventure such as Valley of the Dinosaurs, Super Friends, Space Ghost, Jonny Quest, and Battle of the Planets. In recent years, Boomerang began airing shows from more recent times, such as Batman: The Animated Series, What's New, Scooby-Doo?, The Addams Family and Pokémon. The first two Cartoon Network originals to air on Boomerang were Dexter's Laboratory & Mike, Lu & Og. Boomerang's promotional slogan, Boomerang: It's All Coming Back To You, used until late 2005 on Boomerang itself, was one of nostalgia that accurately reflected its programming of the time. However, this slogan is still used on promos airing on sister channel Cartoon Network. Boomerang got a new slogan in 2006 that airs during its programming breaks. The slogan is Boomerang: Right Back At'cha. The announcer for most promos for the channel is actor and former Family Feud host John O'Hurley. On February 4, 2014, as part of the company's 2014 upfronts, Turner Broadcasting announced that Boomerang would become advertising supported (similar to the Hub Network) and seek additional international distribution. In October 2014, Boomerang will unify international feeds under one branding, comparable to when the network first launched. On January 19, 2015, the U.S. version of Boomerang was relaunched as part of a global rebranding effort to offer original programming for the first time; the relaunched channel will continue to emphasize its archival programming but with a greatly increased emphasis on the archive's most popular brands and an explicitly family-friendly approach, in the hopes that Boomerang can become a “second flagship” on par with the main Cartoon Network channel. Cable and satellite availability Boomerang is carried on most cable and telco providers, along with both satellite services; tiering of the channel varies by service, with some services offering it as a basic service or as a higher-tier offering. A few providers do not carry the linear channel, instead only offering the network's video on demand service bundled with Cartoon Network. The network is offered exclusively in standard definition, with no current plans for a high definition simulcast. Programming Historically, Boomerang avoided overt channel drift and, despite adding newer content to its library, continued to air programming from the breadth of its archives. As of spring 2014, however, most of its archival programming has been relegated to graveyard slots while the daytime schedule has increasingly been dominated by programming from the 1990s and later. No programs have permanent places on the schedule as of 2014; a few shows, such as The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, the Tom and Jerry theatrical shorts, Pokémon, The Smurfs and The Powerpuff Girls are usually on the schedule but are periodically taken off the schedule for brief periods. Most other programs aired by Boomerang stay on the schedule for several weeks, then are rotated out and replaced by other programs. Not all of the Time Warner animation library is currently available to Boomerang. A portion of the library is licensed to the Hub Network (now Discovery Family) as of 2013; this license includes the WB-produced animated series from the 1990s that were produced in collaboration with Steven Spielberg (including Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs), and most properties involving Batman and Superman (including the DC Animated Universe). One exception to this is Justice League Unlimited, which is licensed to Saban Brands to air on Vortexx (a block which incidentally airs on The CW, which is 50% owned by Time Warner). Boomerang also occasionally licenses programming from other distributors, such as The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, which rejoined the lineup for a short run in August and September 2013. The Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoon shorts, which were dropped by Boomerang since 2007, returned for the schedule on October 5, 2013. Although Boomerang's programming philosophy was originally intended to showcase cartoons, it started to add some newer shows in recent years. On January 1, 2012, the channel began airing episodes of Puppy in My Pocket: Adventures in Pocketville, which ended in February 2013. On November 17 and 24, 2012, Boomerang aired new episodes of Ben 10: Omniverse, before their telecast on sister channel Cartoon Network. Boomerang reintroduced the "Wedgies" series of animated shorts (which air in-between shows) in 2013. Programming Blocks Because of Boomerang's fluid schedule, programming blocks will air for a few months, then be removed from the schedule, only to be added again a few months later. Current Boomerang Theater – Boomerang's movie showcase block; it is shown at varying times. However, It almost always airs on weekend mornings from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Eastern, with the end time varying depending on the telecasted film's length. Seasonal Boomerween (conjectural title) – This block airs during the month of October, and includes Halloween-themed programs such as Scooby-Doo, Casper, The Addams Family (in its live-action as well as animated incarnations), Beetlejuice and The Munsters. This is notably the only time that Boomerang airs any live-action programming, particularly as The Addams Family and The Munsters have aired on the channel each October since 2011. The Halloween programming replaced the annual Scooberang block in 2011, and continues to air each October. Captain Planet Earth Day Marathon – In observance of Earth Day, Boomerang airs a marathon of the animated series (which was produced by Turner Program Services); the series also currently airs as a regular part of the channel's schedule, airing at daily at 6:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Mother's Day – A recent marathon obervance by Boomerang, on the holiday, the channel airs cartoons featuring mothers, such as Jane Jetson-focused episodes of The Jetsons, and Wilma Flintstone-focused episodes of The Flintstones. The Boomerang Christmas Party – This block, which airs each December, features a collection of Hanna-Barbera Christmas specials (such as The Powerpuff Girls: Twas the Fight Before Christmas, Yogi's First Christmas, Christmas Comes to Pac-Land, Casper's First Chrismas, The Jetsons' First Christmas and The Flintstones' Christmas). Former Boomeraction – One of the first blocks to air on Boomerang, its programming focused on action-adventure shows including Thundarr the Barbarian, Teen Titans, Samurai Jack, SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, The Pirates of Dark Water, Jonny Quest, The Secret Saturdays, Ben 10 and Ben 10: Omniverse. It was also one of the only Boomerang blocks to air across international feeds, including the United Kingdom, Latin America, and Australia versions of the network. The block was removed by June 2, 2014, as all programming from the block left the schedule. Boomerandom – This block aired each weekend from 8 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time from 2008 to 2010, and featured two hours of episodes of a single program. The selected programs were picked by the "Boomerandom drawing machine". Boomerang Zoo – This one-hour block featured pre-1970 Hanna-Barbera/Warner Bros television shorts, culled mainly from the H–B funny animal series (such as Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Atom Ant, Magilla Gorilla, Snagglepuss, Wally Gator, and Pixie & Dixie and Mr. Jinks). It was the only block to air on both the American and European versions of the channel after the 2004 rebranding of Boomerang Europe. Boomerock – This block, which aired in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the premiere of The Flintstones in 2010, consisted of a marathon of the classic animated series. Boomeroyalty – This weekend mini-marathon of shows focuses on a particular character that changes every month, similar to the former Super Chunk block on sister network Cartoon Network. "Boomeroyalty" has since been placed on hiatus. Scooberang – This continuous block featured every episode of each Scooby-Doo series (which were aired in chronological order), beginning with Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!. It also aired some feature-length Scooby-Doo movies, including Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers and Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. "Scooberang" no longer airs on Boomerang. However, various series iterations of the Scooby-Doo franchise air on the channel several times daily. Those Meddling Kids! – This 90-minute block featured series produced by Hanna-Barbera and/or Ruby-Spears, all of which follow the formula of a group of mystery-solving teenagers or young adults (such as Scooby-Doo, Josie and the Pussycats, Fangface, Clue Club and Speed Buggy). Other Services Boomerang On Demand Boomerang On Demand is the channel's video-on-demand service, offering select episodes of the channel's archived programming, along with select archived Cartoon Network original programs. Launched in 2005, it is available on select digital cable, satellite and IPTV providers. In April 2013, Boomerang On Demand began to separate program content by "theme" (for example, in observance of Mother's Day, the service featured episodes of The Flintstones and Dexter's Laboratory featuring the characters of Dexter's mom and Wilma Flintstone). International Boomerang, originally established as a cable channel in the United States, has expanded worldwide. Each of these networks will be aligned globally in 2014 under one unified branding to reflect a family co-viewing network. Australia An Australian version of Boomerang was launched in March 2004 as part of the launch of Foxtel's digital service, with a lineup very similar to that of the U.K. version. It began as a four-hour block of programs in 2001, when the Australian version of Cartoon Network began broadcasting on a 24-hour schedule. It previously used the logo and break format of the flagship American service. However, in November 2007, the channel revamped both its logo and promotions as well as its website, boomerangtvshow.com. However, it uses the same bumpers for as the U.S. channel. On December 1, 2012, the channel introduced a new on-air look with the same logo and appearance as the European channels. Southeast Asia The Southeast Asian version of Boomerang was launched on September 1, 2005. It began as a 90-minute block of programs in 2001, when the Asian version of Cartoon Network began broadcasting on a 24-hour schedule. It previously used the American logo and style of commercial breaks. It previously used the logo and break format of the flagship American service. However, in November 2007, the channel revamped both its logo and promotions. In December 2012, the channel was replaced by Toonami it was announced that Boomerang will relaunch in Asia on January 1, 2015, with a new look and as part of the Boomerang's global rebrand for 2015. The channel will replace the Cartoonito asian feed. This channel is available in Hong Kong, the selected ASEAN member neighbor countries and Sri Lanka. The 24-hour channel in India was only available on Dish TV exclusively along with Turner Classic Movies until March 2, 2009. It is currently only available on IN Digital Cable from the Hinduja Group in Mumbai and the National Capital Region. In Pakistan, it ran as a two-hour block but was replaced with Pogo due to poor ratings. In Indonesia, it is available on Indovision, Aora TV and TelkomVision. Thailand The Thailand version of Boomerang was launched on August 14, 2013. Similar to Southeast Asia, it is part of the Boomerang Europe franchise. United Kingdom & Ireland Boomerang launched in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom on May 27, 2000. It broadcasts 24 hours a day on Sky Digital, Virgin Media, TalkTalk TV and Chorus Digital. This version of the channel also features other animated series such as Mr. Bean and Gadget Boy. In late July 2007, Boomerang UK started carrying live-action programs, including those exclusive to the channel such as My Spy Family. Germany Boomerang launched in Germany in June 2006; it is available on Kabel Deutschland, Kabel BW and Unity Media. Scandinavia In late 2005, Turner Broadcasting announced its intention to launch several new channels in the Nordic region (to join its then-current channels Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network and CNN International). One of the planned new channels was Boomerang, for which Turner applied for a broadcast license to operate on Swedish digital terrestrial television in the fall of 2005. Spain Boomerang launched a Spanish version of the channel in 2004. It was available on the Digital+ digital platform and on the Auna cable platform. It was introduced as a part of Cartoon Network's schedule on weekend afternoons. The channel's programming strongly resembled that of the UK version. It relied heavily in older Warner Bros., MGM, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons, but it also included fairly recent programmes featuring older characters, like Baby Looney Tunes and Duck Dodgers. It also featured other classic cartoons, like the Japanese Heidi and the Spanish La vuelta al mundo de Willy Fog (Around the World with Willy Fog). On September 1, 2011, it was replaced by Cartoonito, which itself ceased operations on June 30, 2013, along with the Spanish version of Cartoon Network. Europe, Middle East and Africa and Central and Eastern Europe Boomerang Europe, Middle East and Africa launched in June 2005, originally broadcasting in Eastern Europe (in English), Poland (in Polish) and Hungary (only selected shows in Hungarian); it features mainly former Cartoon Network and Hanna-Barbera programmes. In October 2010, the channel started to broadcast select shows in Romanian. In October 12, 2011, the Central and Eastern Europe feed was separated from Europe, Middle East and Africa; as a result, the former maintains its own schedule and promos in Hungarian and Romanian language as well as the preschool-targeted block Cartoonito, which was added to both feeds at the same time. In February 2012, the channel began accepting commercial advertising outside of Poland, whose feed also accepts traditional advertising. From March 2012, Boomerang got a new look. In July 2013, the channel started to air select shows in Russian, in preparation for a possible launch of a separate feed for Russia.7 In October 2013, a Russian feed was also added to the channel, thus making it to be broadcast now in four languages. In January 2014, the Cartoonito brand name was gone from the both CEE and EMEA channels, thus making those shows identifiable as Boomerang shows and the Boomerang next bumpers were rebranded. Starting from July 2014, Russia banned the ads from the network making the channel broadcasting no ads. Latin America and Brazil Boomerang Latin America and Boomerang Brazil both launched in July 2, 2001. On April 3, 2006, Boomerang Latin America/Brazil was relaunched as a general entertainment children's channel, which incorporated featuring live-action programming and movies, while retaining classic cartoons during late night hours. In October 1, 2008, classic cartoons were dropped from the schedule and Boomerang was refocused as a teen-oriented channel. In practice, the channel changed from a regional version of Boomerang USA to a version of Pogo, Cartoon Network's sister channel in India. Since April 1, 2014, the channel changed its schedule and focused its audience to children, deleting all live-action shows and putting animated programming. On December 1, 2008, Tooncast was launched, a channel following the format of the international versions of Boomerang, airing both classic animation shows and shows formerly aired on Cartoon Network. However, The Powerpuff Girls was added as of February 2014, making it again inclusive to animated programming. In April, it moved its cartoon programming to daytime slots on the schedule. Others Since 2005, Boomerang is also available via digital cable and satellite in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the Middle East, North Africa and the Levant territories, it broadcasts via satellite on the Orbit Showtime Network. In Sub-Saharan Africa, Boomerang is available on MultiChoice's DStv. Gallery Boomerang_First_Logo.png Boomerang_Logo_2.png Boomerang_at_Night_Logo.png 5010569311 1d9ca4bd87 b.jpg See Also *Teletoon *Teletoon Retro *Teletoon at Night *Cartoon Network *Cartoon Network Extra *Adult Swim External links * US Site * Boomerpedia * Official Site [[Category:Browse] Category:TV channels Category:Programming Blocks Category:Cancelled Programming Blocks Category:Cartoon Network Blocks